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The Kamogawa Food Detectives

The Heartwarming Japanese Bestseller

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The Kamogawa Food Detectives

By: Hisashi Kashiwai, Jesse Kirkwood - translator
Narrated by: Hanako Footman
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About this listen

WATERSTONES BEST FICTION BOOKS OF 2023 PICK

The Kamogawa Food Detectives, translated from Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood, is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese sleuthing series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner treats its customers to wonderfully extravagant meals. But that's not the main reason to stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo have started advertising their services as 'food detectives'. Through ingenious investigations, they are capable of recreating a dish from their customers' pasts – dishes that may well hold the keys to unlocking forgotten memories and future happiness.

From the widower looking for a specific noodle dish that his wife used to cook, to a first love's beef stew, the restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to the past – and a way to a more contented future.

A bestseller in Japan, The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai is a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal.

 Amateur Sleuths City Life Cosy Culinary Adventures Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Urban Women Sleuths Detective Crime

Critic reviews

The Kamogawa Food Detectives search for the taste of memories. Like sights and sounds, tastes are also deeply connected to one's memories. The depictions of the beautiful scenery of Kyoto and its native dishes, which are like the original landscape of Japan, warmed my heart (Genki Kawamura, author of If Cats Disappeared from the World)
The food writing is truly superb
'The Kamogawa Food Detectives is an absolute joy; hilarious, emotional, and entirely delicious. Hisashi Kashiwai's tales of love lost, found, grown older and reborn are both striking and comforting — truly one of a kind. Delectable and delightful' (Bryan Washington, author of Family Meal)
The ultimate cozy, and a glimpse into a world that is at once quieter, more ritualized and seemingly simpler than mine, and yet strangely familiar. I savored every word (KJ Dell’Antonia, author of The Chicken Sisters)
An early contender for my favorite book of the year. For anyone who loves magnificent food writing and great storytelling, this novel is a moving, beautiful, and impeccably detailed tribute to the power of a great meal (J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest)
Kashiwai’s unique blend of seasonings is more than enough to transform each into a five-star-worthy dish. . . [A] warm memory blanket of nostalgia. Readers [will] eagerly devour each morsel of this miso soup for the soul. . . A nourishing collection of bite-sized stories with a hearty dash of savory flavor
Outstanding. . . A culinary and cultural exploration of Japanese cuisine. . . The novel includes mouthwatering descriptions of food as well as a nuanced description of life in Japan. . . Readers will take delight in Kashiwai’s exquisite meals and the culinary history that accompanies them
[An] ode to the magic of food
Charming. . . This book offers more than beautifully crafted stories of life’s challenges and joys. It is filled with glimpses into Japanese culture. . . The kind of book you pick up and savor every page. A brilliant first installment to a series, it is expertly crafted and leaves you hungry for more
Rather than chase a Michelin star, [the Kamogawa Food Detectives] chase stardust—the kind memories are made of, as they recreate elusive dishes that hold special meaning for each patron. Our favorite meals often tell a story. . . This touching novel captures that truth
All stars
Most relevant
I want to start this review by saying that in terms of story it was absolutely fine.

if you are looking for big adventures or anything like that you won't find it in this slice of life.

it's a cosy person A comes to visit, leaves and comes back to a huge reveal on their nostalgia food with an explanation on the area and the ingredients.

definitely something that would work well with a manga adaptation, live action or anime to help showcase the food discussed.

Tasty food and tasty emotions

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It was a series of sweet stories about food related mystery dishes but is not rewritten like a linear story- every time there is a new client we have to hear about the fact that they can’t find the restaurant because it’s unmarked by a sign, every single time. It’s over explained at other points too and repetitive in its style. A shame as if it was a bit more developed or richer in events or characters I would have enjoyed it a lot more but can’t help feel a little disappointed- got through it though but meh…

Has potential but…

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If you’re into cozy, food-themed fiction you’ll enjoy this light read. Could have easily been a longer book with more details but I’ll take it for what it is.

Super wholesome

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I really loved this book. The story is wonderful and I really enjoyed the narrators performance. I would recommend this to anyone :)

A really special and unique book.

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The Kamogawa Food Detectives is about a small, hard to find, father and daughter run restaurant in Kyoto. Each “job” follows a formulaic setup – guest has food at the restaurant, gives the details of the meal they're looking for, then they come back two weeks later to have the meal and they get a bit of background for what it took to find the right ingredients.

It's not meant to be heavy thinking and it's not meant to blow your mind. If that's what you're looking for, you've come to the wrong place. It's meant to be a soft adventure through people's back stories, their assumptions and their misapprehensions about life, missed connections or links back to their past, all tied together by the food that brightened their days.

I very much enjoyed it.

Relaxing, food focused slice of life

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